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The way it looks right now, there are two things that could keep second-year quarterback Sam Howell from completing the season as the starting quarterback of the Washington Commanders.
First, Sam Howell may not make it to Week 18 because of the absolutely unprecedented beating he's taken game after game behind a Commanders line that has allowed Howell to be sacked 40 times through seven games, which is over ten more than any other quarterback this season, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. How Howell can withstand this type of relentless onslaught for ten more games is a mystery, but if he does, he'll likely shatter David Carr's dubious, long-standing “record” of being sacked 76 times in 2002. Right now, Howell is on pace to be sacked 97 times. Ninety-seven.
(That's not a misprint)
Second, when coach Ron Rivera was asked by The Athletic's Ben Standig about Sam Howell's status as the starting quarterback of the Commanders, his response didn't inspire a great deal of confidence.
Ron Rivera's full answer when asked by @BenStandig if he plans to start Sam Howell the rest of the season: pic.twitter.com/5bGpDgFO5I
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 23, 2023
In case you weren't aware, “Well, I'll tell you this, I'm committed to him and we'll see how things go, Ben. But you know, I can't predict the future,” is coach speak for “No, absolutely not.” Of course, Ron Rivera can't come right out and say that. He has to dance around it and dress it up and make it sound like Howell has his full support. I understand the game he needs to play, especially since his own future in Washington is potentially even cloudier than Howell's is, and if he loses his QB he loses the team, and if he loses the team then he's losing his job. But nobody is buying the answer that Rivera gave.
